Cybèle To Open Ponsonby Store

In recent years Cybèle Wiren has garnered a steadfast following of ebullient fans the length and breadth of the country. In a relatively short space of time she has taken the substantial step from 'emerging' to 'emerged' and has won awards and scopic praise to prove that she has very much come of age with her label Cybèle. Great news that she is about to open her first store at 62 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland on March 1. It is a challenging time for retailers, let alone designers, so this is a confident step from the still-young designer.  “This is something I've always wanted to do,” she says. “For years people have been asking me why I don’t have my own store and now just feels like the right time. I'm ready for a change and a new challenge!” Cheers to that Cybèle.


Image from Cybèle’s AW 11 Nieriya campaign shot by Olivia Hemus featuring Ella V from Clyne, styling by Chris Lorimer, make-up by Amber D for MAC, hair by Lauren Gunn for Stephen Marr using Kevin Murphy.
 

Emma, Emmaline...

"..I'm gonna write your name high on that silver screen..Emma, Emmaline, I'm gonna make you the biggest star this world has ever seen." Hot Chocolate wrote some fair to middling disco hits and a few plain annoying ones, but in the early seventies at least, they always looked the part. This tune, Emma, from 1974 stands head and shoulders above the rest of their catalogue and the video with its blue background, glacial pace and freaky intro and outro must have set some sort of standard at the time on how to shoot a studio clip. Snazzy...

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #7: Workshop, Helen Cherry and current in-store imports by Russ Flatt

Aside from their much loved labels, Workshop and Helen Cherry, the folks at RCM have a fabulous range of quality international brands in their stores too - Alexander Wang, See by Chloe, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, Twenty8Twelve and many more. Black fashion director Rachael Churchward picked up some  goodies from the ranges currently in-store to go with a selection of the latest from Workshop Denim and Helen Cherry for our seventh Blacklog Editorial - shot at Kingsize Studios. Russ Flatt took the photographs and Natalie Dent for M.A.C Cosmetics did the hair & make-up. Both the models are relatively new faces; Simon Abela and Phoebe Farrell, both at Nova.

Phoebe wears:Helen Cherry blouse, hat model's own,
jewellery from Wunderkammer Jewellery (worn throughout)
Simon wears: Shirt and waistcoat by Workshop Denim,
vintage bow-tie and eyewear by Karen Walker

Black #14: Paul Empson shoots Missy Rayder in Paris

i-D Magazine Sept 2008 by Daniel Jackson

Our Paris Correspondent and valued photographic contributor Paul Empson shot one of our all time favourite models for Black #14 this week in Paris, Missy Rayder. Missy, and big sister Frankie, have been at the cutting edge of modelling for over a decade and if her recent editorial work is anything to go by Missy has made a serious comeback. A favourite of Steven Meisel (she was shot by the maestro for the cover of Vogue Italia six times), Missy is currently hot property - despite being over 30 - and has recently shot for French Vogue, Numero and Purple amongst others. Loving the trend toward celebrating the model icons in mags like Love, V and Purple, long may it continue. We also remember her Pavement cover, one of the great New Zealand magazine's best ever. Black #14 is shaping to be  our strongest model issue yet - we'll keep you updated here on Blacklog...

Grey Feb 2011 cover by Beau Grealy

Listening to the sky with Fistful Of Bird

Sam and Jeremy Galvin, the brothers behind emerging Auckland label Fistful Of Bird aren't your usual fashion designer types. Yet, their background in the art and film worlds and a shared history travelling the globe immersing themselves in the school of life ensures their label is exactly, purposefully, a reflection of themselves and a breath of fashion fresh air to boot. The siblings started only two or three years back with the denim and t-shirt label Descendant which quickly grew in concept and style before morphing into Fistful Of Bird. With the new FOB AW 11 range 'Audible Skies' the step up is notable in terms of design, textile, shape and breadth of the range. Jackets, including a cropped bomber (always a winner) join cloaks, artisan denim (waxed and hand-distressed finishes, pigment airbrushing), diaphanous t-shirt dresses and slouchy woollen jumpers to offer plenty to their growing legion of fans. This pair are indeed reaching for the skies. Photos: Russ Flatt Model: McInnes @ Nova

Gang of Four, What We All Want!

Gang of Four with Jon King (left) and  Andy Gill (right)

Back in the early eighties punk collided with funk in a way that shook out the mohawks and sent chains and razor blades flying. Bands like A Certain Ratio, Comsat Angels and Pigbag all put the James Brown into Johnny Rotten but there was one band who managed to keep the angular, scything, cutting sounds of punk within the funk, Gang of Four. Hard on the heels of another great post-punk band, Wire, the Gang are on their way to Auckland and are playing at The Powerstation on Thursday, February 24 with support from Kody & Bic. The line-up includes original singer Jon King and the utterly percussive guitar of Andy Gill, which makes the gig a must see in itself. Here's a chunky, funky reason why we will be going to this one - a live version of What We All Want circa early 80's...


Gang of Four What We All Want
Uploaded by Celtiemama. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Valentine's Day, direct from The Bay

With the impending arrival of Valentine's Day you can be sure florists everywhere are knee deep in sweet smelling roses and sharp bristling thorns but for those of you that like to think outside the vase as it were Esther Diamond have developed a range called, fittingly, "Forever." The Hawkes Bay-based arty homeware brand has teamed up with Dick Frizzell, Janine Wareham and Paris House to create cushions and tea towels with a difference for your significant other next week. Love them all but particularly fond of Paris House's "I Love You More Than A Fat Boy Loves Cake' TT (below). Available at all "Diamond Traders" nationwide or at the online store.

M.A.C SS11 Trends

Black 12 cover girl Alana Zimmer for Todd Lynn by Sally Branka

We spent the middle of yesterday ensconced within the Ponsonby Bistro for the latest M.A.C trends presentation with premier artist Amber D. and M.A.C New Zealand's Tatum Savage and crew. At fashion week's around the world M.A.C teams, in partnership with the world's great designers, create many of the trends and looks which are quickly adapted by magazines, advertisers, celebrities and everyday women. This year, four trends are to the fore: Raw-fined (nude, minimal, contrasting textures), Pop Classics (classic shapes, uber saturated colour), Ice Dreams (Pastel shades, avante-garde application, Terra Copper (modern bronze, precise application and tan shades). Tendencies include; lush lacquered lips, brow beating, minimal skin, super honed cheekbones, blush, touches of metallic and no lips or lashes. Here are our favourite looks by show, and the key M.A.C artist responsible - as you can see we are big fans of James Kaliardos' work.

Preen by James Kaliardos

Lou Reed Interview

We love this Australian interview with Lou Reed who looks insanely cool whilst exuding a "waiting for the man" affectation and is clearly dumbfounded by the journalist's stupidity, all at the same time..."journalists, I love journalists..."

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #6: Stolen Girlfriends Club AW 2011 by Yasmine Ganley

Lovely red leather, creamy knits, fur, black and white on a rainy day. Stolen Girlfriends Club AW 2011 as seen through the lens of Yasmine Ganley and styled by Rachael Churchward, Caitlan and McInnes @ Nova hanging out in the rain after "Last Night's Party."

Photography: Yasmine Ganley

Fashion editor: Rachael Churchward
Hair & make-up: Natalie Dent using M.A.C Cosmetics
Models: McInnes and Caitlan @ Nova Models
Fashion assistant: Jessica Grubisa
All clothing and accessories by Stolen Girlfriends Club, her boots by Jeffery Campbell, his creepers by T.U.K

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #5: Zambesi Man AW11 by David K. Shields

Shirt and jacket by Zambesi Man, hat by Margiela

We are excited to announce that Adam Bryce founder of Slam X Hype - and one of the most sartorially sharp New Zealanders we have met - is joining Black as men's fashion editor. Adam has previously styled for i-D, British Vogue and Dazed & Confused among others prior to starting Slam X Hype in 2003 and more recently publishing The New Order magazine. Last week he teamed up with photographer David K. Shields to get back on the horse as it were and shoot David Kemp @ Nova in a few pieces from the latest Zambesi Man A/W 2011 collection. David's haircut by the talented Tom @ Ryder and grooming for the shoot by David K. Shields. Thanks to Bo Hendgren @ Absolute Essentials for use of her farm. All clothing by Zambesi Man unless captioned underneath image.

Classic: Comsat Angels - Independence Day

Looking forward to playing with Children's Hour at Laneways in Auckland next Monday and have been slotted into an early 80's mindset this week as a result. Here is a tune that brought Rachael and I together back in the day, a post-punk classic that is also quite simply a great tune with the inimitable lyric "Can't relax because I haven't done a thing, and I can't do a thing because I can't relax..." Comsat Angels, Independence Day, timeless...this video from 1983 but the song itself came out in 1980.

NoLa Bel: Taking your hands on a trip

Last week we noticed a striking sculptural ring on the hand of our friend Briar. It turns out the ring was in fact five rings sitting together and was designed by fledgling Auckland label NoLa Bel. Briar passed on the lookbook and the fabulous skull packaging for the range entitled "I saw this while I was away." The label describes the rings as "architectural postcards for the hands of the adventurous and brave! We simply had to know more and tracked down Karamia Müller and Nicole Allan, the creative design team behind NoLa Bel:

We like the way the rings are named after cities or places like Alexandra, Vancouver, Jordan, Agadir. Have you been to these places? Nicole has been to Vancouver and I (Karamia) have been to Agadir - we are both keen to go to Alexandra and Jordan...Have you actually shaped the rings off the skylines of these places? We designed the rings and then named them after places that reminded us of them...

Dem Bones, Dem Bones...

Let's face it, in the stony little town of Bedrock there is really only one key accessory for any self-respecting hipster girl like Pebbles that wants to look the part alongside Bam Bam in his matching Tigersaurus cap and shorts - a Bedrock Bone in the hair. So entrenched is the symbolism of the iconic cartoon series that Monique Saville's real life Bedrock Bones seem eerily familiar, although Saville's cute-as-a-button range encapsulates necklaces, pendants, bracelets and other bright bone accessories not seen on TV but that would spice up any trip to the bowling alley or Diner-saurus nonetheless.  Bedrock Bones are available now at all Ruby Boutiques, Ruby online store, M.A.D.E in the Britomart, Guilty As Sin (Palmerston North & Napier) and Belle Bird in Dunedin....Yabba dabba doooo...

Wonder Woman! Wonder Woman! All the world is waiting for you...

...and the power you possess, in your satin tights, fighting for your rights, and the old red, white and blue.

She's quite a gal that Wonder Woman, able to "make a hawk a dove, and stop a war with love" no less so who wouldn't want a bar of her? Certainly M.A.C do. The cosmetic giant is, as always, prepared to venture where others fear to tread. A perfect partner for Wonder Woman then! The packaging for the colourful new collection from M.A.C mirrors the bright Lichenstein-esque pop sensibilities of the famed American Amazon and includes; super-sized Mineralize Skinfinish, bold Eye Shadow quads, Pigment, Opulash, Lipsticks and over-sized Lipglass, jumbo-big Powder Blush and Penultimate Eye Liner and Nail Lacquer and Lash. Phew.., but let's face it, Diana Prince (let alone her alter ego) has always had superb taste in cosmetics, even when she was "stopping a bullet cold" or "making the axis fold." The collection and a selection of fierce pop accessories go on sale in NZ across all M.A.C locations on March 4, 2011...

The Rise and Rise of Androgynous Andrej

Andrej by Thomas Lohr for i-D Magazine

In 2008 Joseph @ Chadwick via the crew at 62 Models sent through some Polaroids of a brand new model they had scouted in Melbourne called Andrej Pejic. Black fashion director Rachael Churchward was so taken with his look she immediately booked him for a men's fashion shoot with Russ Flatt for Issue 9 of Black 9 (alongside Michael Whittaker). Chadwick/62 flew him over straight away for the shoot and all and sundry were taken aback with Andrej's natural beauty and farouche androgyny. Andrej has since had a meteoric rise in the world of modelling walking for the likes of Paul Smith and Jean Paul Gaultier, shooting editorial with big names like Steven Meisel, Willy Vanderperre, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, Thomas Lohr and most recently Juergen Teller. Teller shot him for the brand new Marc by Marc Jacobs campaign and it sounds like it was Jacobs himself who was keen on the new poster boy for androgyny. It is a long way from his humble beginnings in Oyster and Black to a current ranking of #17 on Models.com (and rising fast) but there is no doubt Andrej's look is utterly unique and his future looks stellar...

Andrej by Russ Flatt for Black #9

Pauline's a dream...

Pauline by Jean-Francois Campos for Flair Magazine, Nov 2010

We're pretty sure Pauline Van der Cruysse is one of the most beautiful creatures to currently walk the Earth. The Black 13 cover girl is starting to shine and 2011 could well be her year. Here are recent images from V Magazine, Bon International and Flair that prove the point. Discovered by V Man fashion editor (and Black 11 cover stylist) Tom Van Dorpe in a Belgian supermarket, Pauline is all class....

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #4: Taren Cunningham in Kiri Nathan by David Shields

Late last year, for the fourth year in a row, Rachael Churchward teamed with Adrian Hailwood and Murray Bevan to judge the fantastic Manukau fashion meets art and culture show Cult Couture. Over recent years one name has started to stand out from the many contestants - Kiri Nathan. This year she also won the award for biggest fan club - half of the Nathans from up north must have been there cheering her on! Once again David K Shields has taken these incredible images of Taren Cunningham dressed entirely in Kiri Nathan. Hair and make-up by Stacy Lee Ghin.

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #3: Alys by David Shields

She appeared in the current issue of Black in a bold editorial by Jason Capobianco, David Bonney, Gavin Anesbury and Nicole Thompson. While he was recently in Sydney, Black incumbent photographer David Shields and H&M artist Dean Rushworth took the opportunity to also capture the beautiful Alys @ Chic Management for Blacklog.  We'll post another Blacklog editorial shortly from the prolific Mr Shields and then next weekend we're shooting a double header with stylist Adam Bryce teaming with Shields for a men's editorial and Rachael Churchward teaming with Yasmine Bryce on a women's shoot.

Fashion Fluidity

HOME by MOTEL COLLECTIVE from Yasmine Bryce on Vimeo.

Whilst Nick Knight has been shooting fashion films for many years, and the idea of shooting fashion in moving image is certainly not new, there is no doubt there has been a proliferation of fashion films due to the advent of HD in (stills) cameras. Canon's D-Series in particular has turned many photographers into budding, or successful directors. Already used to the superior lenses and handheld camera work implicit in photographic practice, many photographers have made the transition to director of photography in double quick time and many have also discovered there is more to making films than shooting them. Great to see plenty of fashion and art films being made locally by photographers like David Mandelberg, Derek Henderson, Garth Badger, Daniel Max and Yasmine Bryce among others. Bryce and Amy Fraser of Motel Collective directed Home (above) which imparts beautiful music and editing by Motocade's Eden Mulholland and stars Erynne Mulholland and Charlotte Holmes

Below: Garth Badger's beautiful Lili (@ Red 11) styled by Barry Betham with make-up by Melina Strachan. Music by Moby.


LILI from Garth Badger on Vimeo.

2011, the year of the fashion film?

The Lady's Gaga...

Still struggling with her music to be honest but there is no doubting Lady Gaga is a one woman visual symphony and every step she takes in a promotional sense is a giant leap forward for popstar-kind. Shot by the legendary Nick Knight and styled by the almost-as-legendary Nicola Formichetti this is one of the better promo pics of a pop star to accompany the release of a new pop single - ever. Born This Way is on sale globally Feb 13 with the album of the same name to follow in May. Knight, foundation lensman for the twin towers of indie publishing, i-D and Face Magazine is also the founder of the fabulous Showstudio. Good to see he has added a worthy strapline to the site too; Showstudio - The home of Fashion Film. Indeed...

Twenty Eleven!

Kia ora, gidday, bonjour, talofa, 'sup! We hope you have had a nice a break and, if you are in NZ you are enjoying the summer weather. To our friends and family in Queensland, no such luck, we hope the rain abates. May 2011 be a good one for you...Grant & Rach x

Yuletide Greetings!

A Christmas Treat at WAH nails, Dalston, London

Nail art for Christmas? Yes please! I have been wanting to visit the cult nail art salon in Dalston for ages but have never got round to booking an appointment. Until yesterday when my friend and I decided to take ourselves off and get sparkled up for Christmas!

Wah nails is a revolutionary new nail art bar (opened for just over a year) in East London making nail art cool with their up to date styles influenced by the latest fashion trends. It has completely taken off as the latest 'must have' and they have now opened a boutique in Topshop and more to come. The brainchild of Sharmadean Reid, who is a stylist and fashion editor and has always had a passion for nail art. Sharmadean wanted to create somewhere that not only was a professional creative nail bar but also a community space for girls, where artists can display work, and girls can hangout and drink tea! The name 'Wah' comes from an expression of attitude, it is also the name of her online magazine.

I decided on studs whilst my friend Famie went for Chanel c's both on black!

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #2: Karen Walker S/S 2011 A Perfect Day by Yasmine Ganley

Karen Walker's Spring/Summer 2011 collection made a colourful splash at New York Fashion Week in September, and with summer upon us, what better to shoot as our second Blacklog editorial. Black fashion director Rachael Churchward mixed a selection of super cool desirables from the range with Karen Walker accessories, shoes by Beau Coops and Pointer - both for Karen Walker. Yasmine Ganley captured new face Liza @ August.

Photographer: Yasmine Ganley
Fashion Editor: Rachael Churchward
Hair & make-up: Natalie Dent using M.A.C cosmetics
Model: Liza @ August Models
Fashion assistant: Helle Weston

Eco Bottles - Where It's At

The forward-thinking folk at ESP (EcoUsable South Pacific Ltd) have teamed with Huffer to create a drink bottle for your entire summer. No point in buying thousands of plastic water bottles that could end up in a swirling maelstrom in the middle of the Pacific when you can buy one, stylish, reusable one. They say that this is the bottle that puts sustainability in your hands. Nice line. To add another, Huffer's Dan Buckley says, "Eco bottles are where it's at, buying plastic bottles twice a day for your water supply isn't where it's at." We've been trialling one and the other valid point is that it tastes better too as after a couple of refills the plastic ones taste, er, plastic. The bottles are on sale at Area 51 stores nationwide and online at The Huffer Store.

Pearly Queen of Mulberry

Two queens and a jack

Those of you that have read the latest issue of Black will have noticed the story about our London Correspondent Lucie Marquis (above left) and her foray into creating 'walls' of fashion in various locations with Supermarket Sarah and designing t-shirts and jewellery as one half of the Pearly Queens. Lucie is a talented designer and plans to launch an eponymous label in the future. In the meantime she started work this week as a senior designer at Mulberry, suggesting the British label knows talent when it sees it. Very proud of her and can't wait for the Lucie bag!

BLACKLOG EDITORIAL #1: Ann Demeulemeester @ Wunderkammer by David Shields

As mentioned in a previous post we are going to shoot and publish editorial specifically for Blacklog. For the first of these we shot a selection of current and recent Ann Demeulemeester at the Wunderkammer showroom. David Shields took the pictures and Rachael Churchward teamed Ann D with Wunderkammer Jewellery. Thanks to Mark and Zora for letting us have the space for an afternoon and letting us play amongst the many things of wonder within.

Photographer: David Shields
Fashion Editor: Rachael Churchward
Assistant Fashion Editor: Mark Crane
Hair & make-up: Natalie Dent using M.A.C Cosmetics
Models: Taren Cunningham @ 62 Models, Jason Kramer @ Red 11
Fashion assistant: Helle Weston
All clothing and jewellery available at Wunderkammer, Ponsonby Road

What a Rekkit!

We really like the look of a new club night happening at Auckland's superbly-tucked-away venue, Tabac. Rekkit is the brainchild of one of Auckland's musically knowledgeable young impresarios Dylan Cherry, and launches on January 14, 2011 with the talented (but nervous) Pikachunes supported by Mellow Grave, Forest Spirits, The Be Cool Experiment, Brian Foster and Strange Beast. According to the snazzy opening night video animation, entry is free if you dress as a Pokemon and they may even buy you a drink.  Rekkit was of course a great 1997 tune by Death In Vegas. Auckland's emerging, intelligent, alt. generation. Love it.

If only...like Deadly Ponies

Deadly Ponies' Liam Bowden has given us his three remaining scarves - as per this image from Black 13 by Stephen Tilley & Rachael Churchward - to give away to Black Mag FB page or Blacklog readers. All you have to do is fill in this sentence in a comment on the post on our Facebook Page to be in to win one:

If only..................like Deadly Ponies!

We'll choose the three most interesting ones this Friday. Offer open to anyone, anywhere...here's a pic of the scarf itself....we have one of each colour: beige, mint green and rose...

Helle's Fine Feature

Photo: David Shields

As we are about to publish our first Blacklog editorial, shot last week by David Shields at the Wunderkammer showroom here is a shot from the day of Helle Weston who was on the shoot for work experience as a fashion assistant. We were quite taken with her style close to the ground; wicked tattooed feet by her boyfriend Luke MacPherson housed in a pair of Costume National heels - the stylish Mallard duck was impressed too. Luke has been a tattoo artist for eight years in Auckland, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Prague, Tokyo and Los Angeles. You can contact Two Hands Tattoo in Ponsonby for bookings and more info in 2011...

Play It Again, Strangeways

Strangeways Radio music library from A Fine Frenzy
 to Zwan (below) is extensive and growing quickly 

There is no shortage of good radio here in NZ, the BNet stations for example would all rank highly on a global standard of good radio, but a recent proliferation of online radio stations means that there is even more opportunity to streamline your listening tastes to suit any given mood. One such station, Strangeways Radio, will be of interest to indie fans as an alternative option, although 'indie' is too generic a description. Strangeways sounds British, partially because it is the name of a famous Mancunian prison, but also because much of the station's sound could be described as British - "dreampop, trip hop, Brit pop, shoegaze, electronica, indie pop, indie rock, post punk, dark wave, alt. classics" - the genre tag on the station's front page announces. Strangeways Radio is based in the USA, the brainchild of one DJ Mikey and is only 6 months old but is gaining traction fast with shows by the likes of Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins), Detroit indie legend Darren Revell and Matt Sebastian, founder of legendary college music blog 'Slicing Up Eyeballs.' Highly recommended...

Kia ora Santiago!

This morning we discovered in the admin insights on the Black Magazine Facebook page that we have reached the not insubstantial number of 500 fans that reside in the beautiful Chilean city of Santiago. That puts the city up with New York, Sydney, Paris and London and ahead of the next best South American city Buenos Aires on 416. We are unsure why so many people from Santiago have gravitated towards our page but we are really happy about it. Maybe we should talk to LAN Chile about a trip over there.... In the meantime we will buy a nice bottle of Chilean wine to celebrate. Thanks Santiago...

Naveya & Sloane's romantic jewellery

Photo by Daniel Max

It's no secret that we are big fans of jewellery here at Black Mag and there are an increasing number of local jewellers to be excited about. Rachel Sloane's Naveya & Sloane is one of these. Sloane was womenswear designer at Huffer for three years before working as a patternmaker for NZ's longest running and most loved TV show, Shortland Street. Whilst creating one-off pieces for "The Street" Sloane started to sketch jewellery designs on her pattern paper and her first range is now realised a little over one year later. Sloane describes herself as "a hopeless romantic," and her sentimentalism is inherent throughout, including in the genesis of her thinking; "a notion of a parachute falling from the sky and into my hands." The parachute motif appears on most of her pieces, usually within the clasp, and she pulls no punches on the fab packaging - large, magnetised glass boxes that give many a luxury brand a run for sheer desirability and usefulness - ours now houses a special piece of crystal - but of course, is just as useful as a safe place for the jewellery. Naveya is a fictitious character created by Sloane as a muse for her design and branding, we love the stories and thinking behind the collection which is broken down into four parts; Tulipa, Stain Glass Secrets, Miss Me and Killed By Kisses. Naveya Sloane is stocked at Platina and Steve Haywood.

Blacklog Status Update

There have been a few changes lately on Blacklog and over the next few months you will see many more as we ramp up the quality and quantity of content that we create specifically for Blacklog. Black Magazine publishes twice a year so there is plenty of time in between to publish blog specific fashion shoots, interviews, profiles and stories. Over the past couple of weeks we have published lengthy interviews with James Dobson and Kevin.Murphy style master James Furness, several more are in the pipeline. Yesterday we also shot our first Blacklog editorial; Ann Demeulemeester and Wunderkammer Jewellery with photographer David Shields. Black fashion director Rachael Churchward worked with Wunderkammer's Mark Crane to style Taren Cunningham @ 62 Models and Jason Kramer @ Red 11, hair & make-up by Natalie Dent using M.A.C Cosmetics. We'll post that shoot shortly.

Our belief in the value of both online and offline platforms for independent publishers dates back to 1995 when we published Planet Magazine here in NZ. We decided there and then, when most people didn't even have email, that we would publish Planet online - we could see the future. The only problem was that we were too far ahead of our time, it took over a day to download one large picture, so an image heavy online magazine, despite being a great idea, has only recently become a reality due to the advent of broadband. Interestingly, the photographer for the main shoot of our first online issue of Planet was none other than Paul Empson, who is right now in Sicily with June Nakamoto and crew shooting for Black 14. So please do click the wee tab on the right and 'follow' us or 'like' us over on our Facebook page, if you haven't already. Your support means a lot to us....have a swell day...

Grant & Rach

TalkBlack with Kevin.Murphy's style master James Furness

50's is good!

Kevin.Murphy style master James Furness was recently in Auckland to educate and spread the good word about the fab Australian hair brand. Grant Fell and Rachael Churchward sat down with him to discuss his path from opening United Notions salon in Ballarat at age 18 through to the K.M products like Powder.Puff and Motion.Lotion that are taking the hair world by storm. All photos from the Stephen Marr, Department Store event by Stephen Tilley.

Thank God it's sunny...

....because in England it's freezing. Here is a pic from our London correspondent Lucie Marquis yesterday. As the Pohutakawas blossom and the cicadas start to sing here in NZ, the snow falls in London. Both scenarios, beautiful...

High St. Guild's Lucky Christmas Shop

Love this idea from the enticingly named High St. Guild. Opening on Dec 9, High St Lucky Christmas Shop is a pop up store held within a venerable High Street location, downstairs at 33 High St. The sweaty, low-roofed, strangely-angled space formerly known as The Box, arguably Auckland's greatest nightclub, is set to become an enchanted forest of mystery gifts. The gifts are already wrapped but will include donated goods from High St. retailers Workshop, Zambesi, Kate Sylvester, Hotel De Brett, Cassette #9, Pauanesia, Rakinos and many more. Best of all though, all proceeds go to the City Mission, who offer so many with so little, a better Christmas. As the invite says, "the surprise is in the giving..."

New Face: Liza @ August Models

Photographer (among many other talents) Yasmine Ganley worked with Black fashion director Rachael Churchward and hair & make-up artist Natalie Dent to shoot Liza, a beautiful new face from August Models on the weekend. Liza is of Ukranian descent, and ticks all the right boxes effortlessly - definitely on our Blacklist of new faces to watch for 2011. Liza wears: Dress by Kate Moss for Topshop, brogues by Pointer for Karen Walker, vintage hat.

Jess Grubisa's otherworldly glamourous 80's African Queen

A Jessica Grubisa creation

All backstage photos by Matt Benns

When Whitecliffe's third year fashion student Jessica Grubisa designs a collection she always does so with one woman in her mind. This year, her fantastic collection entitled 'More Money, More Problems' was built around an "otherworldly glamourous 80's African queen," that basically, "jogged in Chanel." To accessorise her signature pieces Grubisa busts a move with high top fade afro headpieces and black full-face make-up, creating a classic hip-hop (think BDP, Schooly D) vibe entrenched in the mother continent. "The headpieces are my interpretation of a high-top fade - the birth of hip hop in the 1980's - everybody donned high, flat afros. I love this look and wanted to have a bit of fun with it," says Grubisa.

M.A.C AIDs Fund milestone in NZ - $1 million raised this year

Today is World AIDS Day, a day that is close to our hearts on Dec 1 every year, and this year, there is something special to celebrate here in Aotearoa. One million dollars raised in NZ for the M.A.C AIDS fund purely from the sale of M.A.C Viva Glam lipsticks, a significant milestone for the visionary make-up company and more particularly the NZ team headed up by Jodie Matthews and Tatum Savage. To date $190 million has been raised for the cause through the Viva Glam programme so $1 million in a calendar year from a country the size of NZ is a serious achievement. We were honoured to have been invited to a luncheon yesterday with media and members of the Body Positive and Positive Women organisations - both of whom spoke eloquently and openly about just how important the donation from M.A.C is to keep these groups going - it is literally the most important source of income in growing these support units for people living with HIV and AIDs related illness in NZ. It was fantastic to see a team of M.A.C make-up artists acting as waiters and assisting in the cause as they do on a regular basis, there is a genuine partnership at work here, and around the world, between the cosmetics giant and the many organisations dealing with one of the world's most deadly diseases. M.A.C NZ announced a further $70,000 in extra support for the Positive Women foundation in Auckland - utterly admirable and heart warming. Congratulations to all concerned including those who buy the lipstick and retailers who take no margin...you can wear a ribbon to mark or at least talk about the subject but as they say at M.A.C, "Every day is World AIDS Day."